The Case for Mandatory Spending on Health Care for American Indians and Alaskan Natives

The reliance on discretionary spending for American Indian/Alaska Native health care has produced a system that is insufficient and unreliable and is associated with ongoing health disparities. Moreover, the gap between mandatory spending on a Medicare beneficiary and discretionary spending on an American Indian/Alaska Native beneficiary has grown dramatically, thus compounding the problem.

The authors suggest that budget classification for American Indian/Alaska Native health services should be changed and health care delivery to this population should be designated as mandatory spending. If a correct structure is in place, mandatory spending is more likely to provide adequate funding that keeps pace with changes in costs and need.